Boldmere Pages Sept/Oct 2020

September / October 2020

www.boldmerepages.co.uk

Boldmere Pages ereod m d l o B bourho Neighum News For side In

Brighter futures for Boldmere Seniors

Get all the info on Boldmere Place development Let’s go back to the movies

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Boldmere Library re-opening

Action-packed childcare this

October Half Term Our number one priority is the safety of you, your children and our team.

We accept childcare vouchers

Contact free sign in and out is here!

Brand new Active Camps App now used for registration and collection.

How are we making Active Camps safe?

With our six point strategy developed in line with government guidance.

Ofsted registered

Sutton Coldfield Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School

Monday 26th - Friday 30th October 2020 See website for full schedule

For more info visit aspire-sports.co.uk or call 0121 663 1082

Well, hello you!

Welcome page

Editor’s Letter

As some level of normality returns to our fabulous area, it’s time to start looking ahead once again as we see the return of our What’s On listings and my pick of the best films to see.

I need to extend my gratitude once again to the Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum and the National Lottery Community Fund for helping to make this issue of the Boldmere Pages happen through additional funding.

Robin Gray Editor

boldmerepages@grayjonesmedia.com

In this issue we are looking at the arrival of the new MACC Retirement Home on the old Boldmere Adult Education site. We also have our local news updates from the Neighbourhood Forum, plus news on the reopening of Boldmere Library.

Boldmere continues to bounce back strong and it’s so great to see our high street bustling once again.

As always, I encourage all of us to play our part in controlling the spread of this virus and please observe all local and national health advice.

Nick Moreton

Take care and stay safe,

Links

Robin In this issue...

Brighter futures for Boldmere seniors……. p.8-9

Designer

nick.moreton@me.com

www.boldmerepages.co.uk Facebook.com/theboldmerepages Twitter.com/boldmerepages Instagram.com/boldmerepages Issuu.com/boldmerepages boldmerepages@grayjonesmedia.com

What’s On…… p.12-13 Five films you need to see…… p.14 Vesey Ward Update…… p.15 Neighbourhood Forum News…… p.16-17 Update from Cllr Rob Pocock…… p.18 Boldmere Library update…… p.19

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Brighter futures for Boldmere seniors

Work by the award-winning MACC Group to re-develop the vacant former adult education site on St Michael’s Road into housing for older people is progressing well.

Despite the risks to progress caused by the pandemic, the development remains on course for completion in spring 2021.

As well as offering a state-of-the-art care home, the scheme also includes a separate development of 45 one- and two-bedroom stunning, generously-proportioned apartments, designed specifically to enable retirees live life to the full, fully independently.

Boldmere Place will provide 24-hour hour telecare, a weekday concierge service, video intercom entry systems on all doors and secure underground parking to guarantee the safety and security of its residents.

Communal facilities such as a residents’ lounge equipped with a bar and cinema equipment, a gym and an on-site bistro open to the local community will bring a real buzz to the place, as will the busy events calendar and ready-made social scene.

For those seeking quieter moments there is a dedicated reading library and the chance to enjoy total privacy in the comfort of their own, spacious homes.

Apartment prices start from just £200,000 and ongoing service charges are administered on a not-for-profit basis, leaving them markedly lower than many competitors.

They start from just £7.50 per day to cover the telecare, concierge, upkeep of communal areas and security features.

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Notably for retirement apartments, Boldmere Place doesn’t charge what are known as ‘event fees’ - charges levied on the sale or change of occupancy of an apartment.

Show apartments are now complete and safe viewings possible, thanks to painstaking work between Boldmere Place and the Sutton Coldfield branch of estate agents Connells, to devise the most Covid-compliant possible viewing processes, so necessary for everyone’s safety.

With the protection of visitors paramount, viewings are offered on a stringent pre-book basis with adequate time between appointments to ensure all surfaces and touchpoints in the marketing suite and show apartments are thoroughly cleaned.

Boldmere Place is the flagship for MACC Retirement, part of the trusted MACC Living and MACC Care family, founded by doctors and with a proven heritage in building high quality properties and providing exemplary care.

Dr Naz Nathani, MACC Group co-founder and director, said, ‘It’s a real privilege to design and build such an important feature in the Boldmere community as well as offer older people the opportunity to make the most out of later life, whatever their needs.

‘This close care model on St Michaels road - where retirement apartments are provided adjacent to but separate from more comprehensive care facilities - really puts the needs of its future residents first.

‘Whilst we offer all the benefits of many of the larger close care villages nearby with additional nursing, care and domestic help on-hand for Boldmere Place residents (should it be needed in the future) this development is smaller and makes for an intimate, community feel.

‘We look forward as well to being part of this vibrant and close community as we open up our community bistro and seek to employ local people across both Boldmere Place and the adjacent Sutton Rose care home.’

To find out more visit www.boldmereplace.com or call Connells on 0121 354 4481.

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SOMETHING NEW & EXCITING HAS BEGUN GROWING NEAR YOU!

The Weigh Forward &

The Beeer Weigh Est Established in 2019, we are a zero waste, plastic free shop in Sutton Coldfield Town Centre, inside The Market Village indoor market.

We help families reduce their single use plastic packaging We help families to prevent food wastage and help you save money We are a non profit local business run by unpaid volunteers and offer temporary paid employment We support low income families and offer concession rates

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We stock the following all free from plastic .

Fruit

Oranges Satsumas Grapefruit Melons (various) Pineapples Lemons Red Apples Conference Pears Peaches Nectarines Plums Kiwi Fruit Bananas

Vegetables White Cabbage Green Cabbage Savoy Cabbage Red Cabbage Cauliflower Sp Sprouts Broccoli Asparagus Green Beans Snap Peas Spinach Brown Onions Red Onions Garlic Bulbs Swede Parsnips Carrots Courgettes Aubergines Butternut Squash Leeks Corn Cobs Baking Potatoes Celeriac Turnips Avacados Be Beansprouts Beetroot Red Peppers Tomatoes Beef Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes Vine Tomatoes Cucumber Celery Iceberg Lettuce Little Gem Lettuce Raddish Spring Onions Mushrooms Large Flat Mushrooms

Nuts & Seeds

Muesli Oats Corn Flakes Rice Krispies Green Lentils Red Lentils Pinto Beans Black Turtle Beans Cous Cous Chickpeas Polenta Popping Corn Jasmine Rice White Basmati Rice Brown Basmati RIce Arbo Arborio Rice Vegan Sweets Vegan Hot Chocolate Breakfast Tea Green Tea Dried Parsley Dried Thyme Dried Sage Dried Oregano Dried Majoram Dried Rosemary Garam Masala

Frozen

Farmhouse Vegetable Mix Country Soup Mix Mediterranean Vegetables Peas, Broad Beans & Asparagus Mix Tuscan Roasting Vegetables Chestnuts Chinese Stir Fry British Petit Pois Apricot Halves British Bramley Apple Slices Juicy Redcurrants Raspberries Tropical Mango Chunks Whole Sweet Strawberries Sweet Blueberries Tangy Blackberries Dark Sweet Cherries Whole Gooseberries Classic Rhubarb Tasmanian Fruit Salad California Fruit Salad Cherry Berry Delicious Mix Woodland Fruit Mix Summer Fruit Mix Classic Cranberries Sweetcorn Mange Tout Diced Swede Asparagus Sliced Mushrooms Whole Green Beans Diced Mixed Peppers Sliced Parsnips Brussel Sprouts Cauliflower Florets Broccoli Florets Loose Leaf Spinach Ratatouille Veg Mix Vegetable Stew Mix Silver Skin Onions Sliced White Onion Shredded Savoy Cabbage Sliced Leeks Garden Peas Soy Beans Broad Beans Sugar Snaps Carrots

Follow ‘The Weigh Forward’ and ‘The Better Weigh’ on Facebook to keep informed about Sutton Coldfield’s #1 non-profit plastic-free/zero waste Community 11 Interest Company, run by unpaid volunteers.

What’s on

Sutton Coldfield Craft Market

Details correct at time of publishing – please check with organisers for any updates and amendments as a result of any changes to Coronavirus restrictions. Please observe all event rules, public health advice and common sense.

3rd October, 9am-5pm, The Parade

Head down to the Parade in Sutton Coldfield for a selection of artisan craft stalls with clothing, accessories, jewellery, food and more. Perfect for some early Christmas shopping!

Free to all. The craft market takes place every first and third Saturday of the month (except January).

Outdoor Autumn Market Middleton Hall

19th & 20th September, Middleton Hall, Tamworth

Welcome in the harvest season at our Autumn Market where you will find a variety of stalls selling gorgeous vintage craft and tasty local produce including fruit and jams from Middleton Hall’s very own orchard.

Admission: Adult £3 and free for under 16s, MH&G season pass holders, and Historic House members.

Book: www.middleton-hall.co.uk/events/ autumn-market-at-middleton-hall

Sutton Coldfield Fine & Local Food Market 9th October, The Parade

The Sutton Coldfield Fine & Local Food market features high quality specialised food and drink offering the best that is both local and eclectic.

Free to all. The Fine & Local Food market takes place every second Friday of the month.

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st e b e h of t k c i p nd a n i Our o d o t s . g e r e thin m Bold d n u aro

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Enchanted Mid-Autumn 10k Walk 17th October, 4.30pm-10.00pm, Rowheath Pavilion

Join St Mary’s Hospice as they take you on a scenic, evening walk around leafy Bournville and Selly Oak where performing, autumnal creatures lie in wait.

By signing up and raising sponsorship you’ll be allowing more people from Birmingham and Sandwell to have dignity leading up to and at the end of life.

For more info: www.birminghamhospice. org.uk/enchanted

October Half Term Active Camps 26th-30th October, Bishop Vesey Grammar School

Taking place at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Active Camps is running 26th – 30th October; a whole week of sports and physical activities keeping children active, safe and smiling over half term.

To find out more about our plans, six point strategy and how to book, visit www. aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps

SUBMIT YOUR LISTING HERE FOR FREE! For consideration, please send info to boldmerepages@grayjonesmedia.com 13

Five Films You Need To See Online and at the Cinema

The King’s Man In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

Released in cinemas: 16th September

Enola Holmes When Enola Holmes-Sherlock’s teen sister-discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord.

Released on Netflix 23rd September

Wonder Woman 1984 Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.

Released in cinemas 2nd October

Rebecca A young newlywed arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death.

Released on Netflix 21st October

Death on the Nile While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress.

Kenneth Branagh returns as the moustachioed detective to lead an all-star cast.

Released in cinemas 23rd October 14

@RSCConservatives info@suttoncoldfieldconservatives.com www.suttoncoldfieldconservatives.com/people

0121 354 2229 36 High Street, Royal Sutton Coldfield, B72 1UP

Jan Cairns and Alison Jolley

Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum News Dear Residents, Welcome to this issue of Neighbourhood Forum News. I hope you have been keeping safe and well while enjoying the weather. We have some interesting news this week around arts and a new bench, plus some good safety advice.

Funding for this has come from “The National Lottery Community Fund” for which we are very grateful. Local groups and individuals are welcome to contribute to future issues, contact the editor at boldmere.forum@talktalk.net COVID19 Community Arts Project Sutton Coldfield Arts Forum has been awarded £1000 from Birmingham City Council to spend on local arts activities responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. They would like to prioritise people who have been particularly affected by the lockdown and may not have had access to arts during this period, in order to bring some art back into their lives. £300 has been allocated to pop up concerts on Falcon Lodge and now the Forum is looking to allocate the remaining £700 to local artists who come forward with ideas of small projects that could be done with or for local people, bearing in mind the restrictions on meeting people from outside your own household and on performing arts. The Forum would like to support two to four projects, so the funding for each one is likely to be between £150 and £350.

The brief is to identify an area or a group of people in Sutton Coldfield who have been particularly affected by the lockdown and whose access to arts may have been limited, propose an arts activity that can be physically enjoyed by the people you have identified (not digital), and explain how the people you have identified will access the arts activity or how it will be taken to them.

To enter, send a written submission which includes the details of your projects as set out in the brief as well as your experience and suitability to joecookartist@gmail.com, together with a copy of your CV and any links to your website or social media pages that would provide examples of previous work relevant to your proposal.

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Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum News A New Bench For Boldmere Our long - awaited bench is finally in its place outside Edge Menswear on Boldmere High Street.

There have been many delays to the delivery and installation but now it’s available for any weary shopper to take a rest. Our grateful thanks go to Keir (the City Councils’ main contractor) and especially to Lucy O’Grady, their customer service manager for arranging installation and doing the fixing. Funding for the bench was provided by the Neighbourhood Forum’s and liaison was done by Boldmere Traders.

Safety While Out & About All this nice weather has given us all a good excuse to get out and about. But what happens if you have an accident while you’re out and you don’t know where you are, or perhaps you’re in the park and not near any landmarks? How do you describe where you are to the emergency services? What3Words is a unique service that has divided the world up into 3 metre squares and given each one a unique combination of three words. Now, if you’re walking just north of Bracebridge Pool in Sutton Park, instead of having to describe which path you went down, all you have to say is you’re at ‘Care.Rainy.Tower’.

What were to happen if you were unconscious and someone needed to know who to contact? You need to add ICE to your phone! ICE is an acronym for “In Case of Emergency.”

Having an ICE contact listed in your phone’s contacts is not much use these days when most phones have enhanced security designed to prevent people from accessing your phone.

However, modern iPhones and Android devices both have a function for adding your emergency contact info which is accessible to anyone from your lock screen.

If you have an iPhone, add your ICE information into your Health app, which comes automatically downloaded onto every iPhone, under a section called Medical ID. On Android, open ‘Settings’, tap ‘ User & accounts,’ then ‘Emergency information.’ Enter your medical information and tap ‘Add Contact’ to add a person from your contacts list as your ICE.

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The Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum column is made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund

Letter from Rob Pocock COVID UPDATE Amid the current discussions on possible ‘local lockdowns’ I often get asked if our area of Sutton is less exposed to the risk? Should we be excluded from further restrictions? Interestingly, I get detailed stats about the infection rates in my role as Chair of the City Health Scrutiny Committee. I got a real shock when the first local data showed Sutton Vesey as actually one of the highest areas in Birmingham. At that time, in June, this seems to have been due to the high number of care homes in our area.

As I write this now, the Director of Public Health Dr Justin Varney has emailed me the latest situation as things stand. His report shows infections rising at a pretty uniform rate across the City. It is not concentrated in the inner city or any ethnic group. The people most affected are in the younger 20 to 40 age bracket, and it’s house parties, family gatherings and small workplaces being the main means of transmission. In one way this is good news, but on the other hand means we are just as likely to face tighter restrictions around here in Boldmere as anywhere else in the City.

RETURN TO SCHOOL My City Council colleague Kath Scott has been keeping a close eye on the situation as kids return to school this autumn. If you are a parent with concerns about your child’s safety just email Kath on kath.scott@birmigham.gov.uk for advice.

SCHOOL 20mph ZONE We are about to introduce a new 20mph zone in the side roads adjoining Boldmere School, as part of our Safer Sutton Vesey project. This is being funded by the City Council and the school itself, and will be accompanied by tighter parking restrictions. Our Safer Sutton Vesey traffic plan has also included new yellow line parking controls now in place on Church Rd, Britwell Rd junction with Jockey Rd and Knipersley Rd junction with Chester Rd. We hope to do more schemes for this project in the current year.

DODGY DEVELOPMENTS There has been a number of complaints recently about large house extensions causing nuisance, and people operating disruptive businesses from their own homes. The government have recently cut out many of the Council’s powers to control housing development, so developers have much more of a ‘free hand’ over what they are able to do without needing to get Planning Permission.

Please get in touch if you want to raise any concerns over this.

PUBLIC MEETINGS - GOING VIRTUAL We have put a lot of effort over recent years, into expanding the number of public meetings where people can come and meet us as Councillors and ask questions. Sadly, Coronavirus has put a stop to this for the foreseeable future. Instead, we have experimented with holding ‘virtual’ Vesey Ward City Council meetings, using the Microsoft Teams platform. You don’t need to be a computer buff to take part!

You just need an internet connection. We try and do what happens normally, with speakers from the Council Highways team, the roads repair company Kier Highways, the Police, and a regular health update from the City Public Health Director. You can also ask questions through a ‘chat’ screen - just email me on rob.pocock@birmingham.gov.uk and I’ll send you details of the next meeting and how to log into it.

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Adult Classes

Sutton Stage School

Want to improve strength and flexibility whilst learning a variety of dance styles?

Classes at Bishop Walsh School on Saturday mornings, Tap, Modern Jazz, Theatre Craft, Gymnastic Dance.

Shows, exams and festivals.

Ballet Barre Conditioning plus Contemporary & Jazz Dance

Class on Thursdays Thu at Wylde Green United Reformed Church 6.40 until 7.20.

Ballet Classes

Beat the blues every Monday morning, 10am at Wylde Green United Reformed Church

Boldmere Ballet School Catering for children of all ages plus gymnastic dance on Fridays for the younger student.

Tap Classes

Toe-tapping fun on Saturday afternoons, 1pm at Bishop Walsh School.

Call now to reserve your space!

Confetti Choreography Wedding dances with a difference Need a great g first dance but don’t want to commit to a programme of ballroom lessons?

Confetti Choreography is a wedding dance service creating special first dances tailor made for you and your partner.

Contact: Jane Cooke: 07932 065 949 | jane@theatredance.co.uk janecooke_sssbbs@hotmail.com | www.theatredance.co.uk

CREATIVE, FUN, WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY info@lisacarpenterphotos.com www.lisacarpenterphotos.com 07599 818133

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FULL RANGE OF DECORATIVE GRAVELS MINI BAGS / TIPPED LOOSE / BULK BAGS FREE DELIVERY / OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

TEL. 0121 354 4657

WWW.BOLDMEREHARDWARE.CO.UK

25 BOLDMERE ROAD SUTTON COLDFIELD, B73 5UY